The Dawn of Darkness
by Gene
Summary: Two years after the game's end Jenova ressurects Hojo and takes over his body. It then sneak attacks Midgar, and starts a World War.
1. The Dawn of Darkness - Prologe

The Dawn of Darkness - Prologe  
  
Summery: Two years after the game Ended, Jenova resurected Hojo, and took over his body. He then started a war.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Two years ago, the terrorist group named AVALANCHE defeted Sephiroth. Cloud and his comrades in arms reveled in their voctory, and soon each went thier seperate ways. Cloud and Tifa went to Costa de Sol to live in his villia. Cid went back to Rocket Town, and spent his time with Shera and fixing the Tiny Bronco. Vincent went with Yuffie to Watui to learn the Watui style of fighting. Red XIII went back to Cosmo Caynon and aimed to protect it from whatever might happen. Barret went back to the ruins of Midgar to gather his things, and then went to Kalm to live with Marlane and Elmyra. Reeve, Scarlet, the Three Remaining Turks, and the remnats of SOLDIER began to rebuild Midgar and the ShinRa corporation.   
  
After a year, Midgar was rebuilt, the slums below eliminated. Everyone lived on the plate, and everyone had a job under President Reeve's new plans. Everyone began to prosper after that long time of Darkness.  
  
Two weeks before the combined Jenova/Hojo attack the Human Resorces Project, Project Clone created the first clone of a human. It was the SOLDIER named Zack Darkblade. Then the attack came. Monsters created by Hojo, under the control of Jenova attacked Midgar and destroyed it.  
  
But they where ready. Emergancy response teams Jettosoned the ShinRa tower, and they then flew it to the secret mountian location of Neo-Midgar. The ShinRa tower locked into place and then lights statred up, reconizeing the birth of Neo-Midgar. Reeve, then ordered the SOLDIERs under the command of General Zack Darkblade to keep watch as he contacted AVALANCHE...   
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Tell me what you think! Review please.  
  
Gene 


	2. The Dawn of Darkness - Chapter I

The Dawn of Darkness - Part I  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, though I wish I did. I only Charecter that is mine is Xander Drax. Robert de Kere is a chaercter from the book "Timeline" by Michel Crichton.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Cid was tuning up the Tiny Bronco when Shera came out with the phone. "Cid, President Reeve is on the Phone."  
  
"What the @^%* would he want?" Cid wondered aloud as he took the phone that was held out to him. He then put the reciver to his ear and gruffly said, "Highwind here."  
  
"Cid, we have a problem. I want you to come to Neo-Midgar." Reeve spoke quickly.  
  
"Neo-Midgar? That means..." Cid trailed off as he rembered the briefing almost two and a half years ago.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Reeve stood in the Kalm town hotel, looking at the weary members of AVALANCHE. "Guys, I am sorry to call this meeting so soon after what you have been through but I need to tell you smoething very important."  
  
Cloud sighed, and hugged Tifa closer to him, as she scooted over. "Alright Reeve, we're listening."  
  
"Well, I found out that Neo-Midgar was built, and is waiting to be activated. Also, in time of extream emergancy the Shin-Ra tower could be jettosoned and flown to Neo-Midgar."  
  
Reeve paused to let everything sink in.  
  
Cid looked at Reeve. "How?" He asked.  
  
"Well it seems that Neo-Midgar is sitting on a well of Mako. They thought it was the promised land because the vien was so deep that all the attempts at gageing how large it was failed. They then built reactors, and a plate. They added defense arms and everything so it was just as well protected as Junon." Reeve took a breath.  
  
Cloud nodded slowly. "Now, why are you telling us this?"  
  
Reeve spoke once more. "If anything attacked Midgar and destoryed it, you will get a call from me telling you that you are needed. After that I will tell you what the threat is and then you will come to a briefing in Neo-Midgar. Understand?"   
  
Cloud nodded. The others did the same.   
  
"Lets just hope we never get that call..." Cid muttered.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
And now Cid was standing in his backyard, listeing to Reeve tell him how Jenova was back, as was Hojo. "Alright, I get right on it." He siad and then hung the phone up.  
  
Shera was makeing some tea when rapid steps halted her work. "Yes, Cid? Whats wrong?"  
  
"Shera, stay here. I might be gone for a couple of days. Something *very* bad has happend." Cid said and moved into the room the shared and began to pack clothes.  
  
"Cid what has happened?" Shera asked form the doorway.  
  
"Jenova and Hojo are back, and they have destroyed Midgar." Cid said as he pulled the Venus Gospel from the wall rack.  
  
Shera gaspes and nearly dropped the tea pot. She set it down and said, "Cid, come back as soon as you can. You here me?" She then kissed him.  
  
"I will come back, I promise." He then strode out the door, and ran up to the Tiny Bronco. He threw his things in the added co-pilot seat behind the pilot's seat and started the plane up.  
  
Shera sat down and listened as the Tiny Bronco started and then took off, heading towords Neo-Midgar.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Barret grinned at Marlane as he picked up the phone. "Barret Wallace's Bed and Breakfast." he said.  
  
"Barret? It's Reeve. A Helicopter will be out front of your house in about a half hour. Board it and come to Neo-Midgar."  
  
Barret nodded grimly and said, "Alright." and hung up the phone. He then walked up stairs to where Elmyra was and spoke quitely to her for a few moments. He then stepped into his room and pulled a large metal box from under his bed. He pulled the Missing Score from it and locked it onto his arm. As he walked down the stairs he heard the whiring of a helicopter. He opened the door and a small voice stopped him.   
  
"Daddy? Where are you going?" Marlane asked.  
  
"Honey, daddy has to go and see President Reeve. Now you stay here and be a good girl for Elmyra. I'll be back in a few days." Barret spoke silently and soothingly.  
  
"Ok Daddy! I love you and I'll be a good girl." Marlane said.  
  
"Good. I'll see you in a few days." He said and then walked out the door and to the waiting heilcopter.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Nanaki (Red XIII) was sitting in his gandfather's house. He sighed and began to read some of the books on the planet that Bugenhagen wrote. He grined in his cat-like manner and burried himself totally into the novel. But soon the Phone rang.  
  
Nanaki nudged the phone from the hook and asked, "Hello?"  
  
"Nanaki, hello. It's Reeve. A Helicopter will be waiting for you right outside Cosmo Caynon. Get on it and go to Neo-Midgar. I will explain everything there." Reeve said and quickly hung up.  
  
Nanaki picked the phone up with his mouth and dropped it in the hook. He then pushed the door open and ran down the stairs and down to the guard at the gate. "I will be gone fro a few days. I have business to attend to."  
  
The guard smiled, and said "That's alright Nanaki. You go ahead."  
  
Nanaki ran down the stepes and outside the Canyon. True to his word a heilcopter was there. Nanaki got on and it lifted off into the blue sky.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Yuffie grinned at Vincent. "Come on Gramps!!"  
  
Vincent stood, shirtless and sweating as he ran forward to try another combo of Wutaian style Kung-Fu. "Take that!" He said as he tripped Yuffie.  
  
"Good job, old guy, but take this!" Yuffie leaned back onto her head and shoulders then sprang up, her feet contacting Vincent's chest and pushing him to the ground. She leaned in close, her mouth close to his. "So, old man... want to stop this and go onto things more interesting?" She asked in a sultry tone of voice.  
  
"Perhaps..." He said, and spung up, pushing her over and pinning her to the floor. He moved in for a kiss but the phone rang. "I'll get it." he said and then sighed.  
  
Yuffie pouted and got up, moving to take a shower.  
  
Vincent picked up the phone, his metal claws clicking aginst the plastic. "Hello?"  
  
"Vincent, this is Reeve." Reeve spoke.  
  
"What can I do for you?" Vincent asked.  
  
"I need you and Yuffie to board the heilcopter waiting for you and come to Neo-Midgar." Reeve replide.  
  
"Alright. We will be on our was ASAP." Vincent said as he hung up.  
  
Vincent, ran to the shower and yelled to Yuffie. "Yuffie we gotta go to Neo-Midgar. I'll jump in to save time!" Vincent the stripped down and jumped into the shower.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
In Costa de Sol music thumped in Villia Cloud. It was fast paced Dance music, and two people where moveing around.  
  
Tifa smiled as Cloud pushed her into a chair and then lifted her up, moveing to sit on the chiar with her, on his lap.  
  
"Ooh. Cloud..." She said as he moved into her.  
  
Cloud shot off his devil may care grin and then bagan to make love on the chair, slowly, and then intime to the music. Soon Cloud was holding onto Tifa and the chair was slaming into the table. Tifa was talking in a rasied voice, "Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!"  
  
Soon it became fantic and the chair and table where creaking and cracking in time with there pace. "Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!!!!" Tifa screamed as she hit climax with Cloud.  
  
They sighed and fell from the chair, and onto the floor. Grinning like fools. Soon the phone rang and Cloud shut the music down. "Villia Cloud." he said as he picked the reciver up.  
  
Reeve spoke up, and explained the whole situation. Cloud dropped the phone. "Tifa, go get dressed, and pack some clothes for me and you. Make it enough for about three days."  
  
"Alright Cloudy. I'll get you your clothes too." She said.  
  
"Alright. We will be right there." Cloud said, after he picked the phone up.  
  
"Cloud? Before you hang up, I have to tell you something." Reeve said.  
  
"What is it?" Cloud asked.  
  
"We cloned Zack Darkblade. And we are in the process of cloneing another person." Reeve said.  
  
Cloud smiled. "Really? Zack? Dose he rember anything?"  
  
Reeve spoke. "Yes. He rembers everything."  
  
Cloud grinned and said, "Good."  
  
Cloud hung up the phone and got dressed. He pulled the Ultima Weapon from the wall and placed it on his back. "Tifa, get your Premium Heart on."  
  
"Alright. But why?" She asked.  
  
"Because Jenova and Hojo are back. We are at War." Cloud said.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
1) Hi! It's me again. This chapter is long for me and I hope I can write all my chapters like this.   
  
2) Ok. Now I would like to thank Twig for inspireing me to write this story. And review please! I want some reviews!  
  
Gene 


	3. The Dawn of Darkness - Chapter II

The Dawn of Darkness - Part II  
  
Summery: See Prologe  
  
Disclamer: See Chapter I  
  
Other stuff: If you want to take the story, fine by me, just give me credit.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Professor Johnson sighed. He gazed at the body in the cloneing vat. This might be a failure. The technology was new, and with Zack they had a body and blood samples on file. With the new one... well they had blood samples but that was it. They had reconstructed the face and added muscle tone to him, makeing him more powerful, but he was still the same size.   
  
The Professor sighed again, becasue anything could go wrong. All they had was a charred skin sample and blood samples. He had so little matrial to work with. Any number of things could go wrong. Mental retardation, the cells could be corrupt and he could end up decomposeing slowly from the outside in, he could go insane and start killing people.   
  
The intercom rang. "Yes?" Johnson asked.  
  
"How is everything comeing?" Reeve asked  
  
"Right on time. As soon as you bring everyone down here we will wake him." The Professor said.  
  
"Alright. Reeve out."  
  
The Professor shut off the intercom. He then strightend his black tie, pulled on his white labe coat and picked up a clipboard. After reading it over he began to make the proper notations.  
  
***********************************************************************************  
  
Cid landed the Tiny Bronco on the Neo-Midgar landing station. He jumped out, bringing his things with him. He got some strange stares from guards as he walked towords the President's office with the large spear in his hand. But, they knew who he was, and let him go.  
  
Reeve leaned back in his leather chair, reading over a status reprot from General Zack. "Good... everything is going as planned." He looked up as Cid walked in, promptly droping his back in a corner of the room along with his spear.  
  
"I'm here. Now what do I do?" Cid mumbled, takeing a cigarette out and lighting it up.  
  
"We wait for the others." Reeve said.  
  
Cid was about to say something when Barret walked in, and was soon followed by Nanaki.  
  
Barret looked at the younger blonde man and barked out, "Cid, it's good to see your skinny ass again!"  
  
Cid grinned and yelled back in mock anger. "Hey you cheap piece of *&%#! I heard you got a Hotel now."  
  
"Yep. I make a good gil to." Barret said smugly.  
  
"Well, it's good to see you too, Red." Cid said to the large animal.  
  
"Greetings, Cid. It is nice to see you also." Nanaki said.  
  
Reeve spoke up. "If you could take a seat we can start when the others get here."  
  
The three took thier seats and waited.  
  
***********************************************************************************  
  
"We are late!" Cloud said, running with the huge sword on his back, getting stares from just about every one.  
  
"Calm down, Cloudy." Tifa said with a giggle as she carried the suitcase, filled with what they would need for three days.  
  
"I know Tifa. It's just that I was hopeing to be ontime. This is very important." Cloud said, and sowed his pace as they got to the president's door.  
  
"In we go," Tifa said.  
  
Cloud opened the door and entered. In the corner he saw gear of all kinds in the chiars he saw his comrades. He entered, the large sword on his back still impressive as ever. He pulled it off and held it infront of him as he sat down. Tifa sat next to him and Reeve smiled. "All here?"  
  
Yuffie and Vincent burst into the room. "Now we are all here!" She yelled.  
  
"Alright." Reeve said. "Now, less then twenty-four hours ago a Jenova Hybrid attacked Midgar and completely destroyed it, leaveing nothing but a pile of twisted metal. Then the creatures came, with Hojo at the back. We did not get a good look at him, but it appears that he is still alive. How, we don't know."  
  
Vincent grit his teeth. He saw Cloud's sword pierce Hojo with a killing blow.  
  
Reeve continued on. "Now, we have SOLDIER commanded by Zack. We will have our main ground forces commanded by Cloud, if he accepts. And for a secondary ground force it will be headed up by the new person we are cloneing now."  
  
"Who is it?" Cloud asked.  
  
"Let me show you." Reeve said and got up.  
  
***********************************************************************************  
  
They all filed into the observation room. They looked down and into the tank. There was a collective gasp. "Is that who it will be?" Cloud asked.  
  
"Yes." Reeve replied and then reached from the comlink. "You may start the waking process."  
  
"Yes, Mr. President." Johnson replied.  
  
Johnson walked over and pressed a button on the wall and a control pannel rose from the floor. He pulled a key from around his neck and pushed it into the lock. He turned it and opened the bullet proof glass up. He then pressed the large red button.  
  
The liquid drained from the tank and the figure inside began to move. Ivory skin as smooth as silk glinted on the hash artifical light and a hack was heard. The figure looked up and shook his head. Johnson stepped up and opend the vat. "Please get out."  
  
The figure got out. And stood infront of the Professor.   
  
"Please state your name." Johnson said, as the intercom was still on and those above could here them.  
  
The figure smiled and spoke, "Rufus J. ShinRa."  
  
***********************************************************************************  
  
Autor's Notes:  
  
1) Bet you didn't expect that!!  
  
2) And yes, I added a middle name to Rufus' name.  
  
3) Chapter III will come out soon.  
  
Gene  
  
  
  



	4. The Dawn of Darkness - Chapter III

The Dawn of Darkness - Chapter III  
  
Summery: See Prologe  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter I - Addition: Professor Johnson is mine also.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Zack brought the binoculars to his eyes. He scanned the horizon agian. Still nothing. But his mind wasn't really on the assignment at hand. He thought back to that day when Sephiroth went insane, killing almost every one in the Nibelheim. Includeing Spkie's mother. Spike. The nick-name brought a smile to the General's lips. He looked back, and rembered.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Zack ran from the ShinRa resort house and outside. The scene infront of him was horfying. Did Sephiroth do that? { My God... } Zack thought, while looking on the scene. He ran forward, Buster Sword on his back rattleing aginst the clips on his belt.  
  
"Hey! Are you still sane?!" the Martial Arts expert asked.  
  
"Yes! What happend?"  
  
"Sephiroth happend. Check that house while I check this one." He said.  
  
Zack nodded and began to go into Cloud and saw a ShinRa soldier on the ground.  
  
"Spike?!" Zack nearly shouted.  
  
Cloud attempted to move, but couldn't. ".....Mother..."  
  
"Calm down Spike, I'll get her." Zack said and saw his friend crane his head twords the door to the house.  
  
Zack ran into the house, greeted imeaditly with hot flames. He looked to the left, and saw nothing. "Mrs. Strife! Mrs. Strife!!"  
  
Cloud groaned, and tried to get up, but his body refused to work.  
  
Zack looked to the right and gasped. Laying under a wooden beam was a charred corpse. Cloud's mother. He turned and walked outside, shakeing his head at Cloud.  
  
"Mother!!" Cloud yelled.  
  
"Cloud, it's alright. Just clam down. I will heal you." Zack porued a potion into his mouth and then ran to the moutains.  
  
Cloud groaned and began to get up. He then picked up his machine gun and ran.  
  
Zack didn't stop running untill he reached the reactor. He ran inside and saw the cute guide pick up Sephiroth's sword, and ran into the inner chamber. He climbed down and ran forward.  
  
Tifa hands wrapped around the heavy handle of the Masamune, ran up the stairs. He then swung at Sephiroth only to have the blade be caught by him. { No!! } Her mind screamed as the sword layed her chest open. As she fell she saw the other SOLDIER come in and he ran up the stairs after Sephiroth.  
  
Cloud burst through the door, mask off and machine gun raised. His Mako eyes glowed brightly, with a fire he never felt. He heard souds of fighting in the upper room.  
  
Click, Click, Clack! Clack, Click. Clack. Cloud reconized the sound. Zack is sword fighting Sephiroth! And it seems he was doing a good job. There was a tearing sound, and Zack's body flew from the doorway. It crashed into the overhang above and fell onto a capsule.  
  
"Urg!!!" Zack groaned.  
  
Cloud saw Tifa. He quickly walked over to her and picked her up, moveing her over and setting her down. "....Cloud...?" she asid before blacking out.   
  
Cloud yanked the slider back on his gun and began to walk up the stairs.  
  
"Spike.... Sephiroth's insane.... stop him...." Zack said as he handed over the large sword.  
  
"I will." Cloud said and ran up the stairs.  
  
Zack then blacked out.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Cloud sighed. He looked at Reeve. "Where is Zack?"  
  
Reeve spoke, "He's on the top of the tower. I'm pretty sure he'd want to see you."  
  
"Alright. I'm going up then." Cloud said and walked up the stairs.  
  
Zack heard the light foot steps comeing form the stair well. He then leaned aginst the railing, his arms crossed, and his black cloak billowing out. Since he was the General he wore what Sephiroth had. He turned and saw him.  
  
"Zack?" Cloud asked.  
  
"Spike?" Zack asked.  
  
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Cloud said, in mock anger.  
  
"I outrank you, Spike so I can call you whatever I want!" Zack said, his favorite line whenever Cloud would say that.  
  
"Zack! It's good to see you again." Cloud walked over and hugged his friend.  
  
Zack hugged Cloud back and grinned. "So, who's the new General? I never bothered to look."  
  
"I am." said a voice from the doorway.  
  
With that Rufus J. ShinRa walked out in a ShinRa army officer's uniform. It was long sleeved, and form fitting, with a black leather belt around the wasit where Rufus held a Quicksliver. On a back holster was a Sniper CR, and in a side sheath was a Mythril Saber. "The name's Rufus ShinRa."  
  
Zack grinned. "I know you. From what I know, your a very good fighter. I hope your prepared. I saw it up close. Those monsters... I saw hundereds of ShinRa army troops get killed in moments. I barely got out."  
  
Rufus smiled grimly. "I understand."  
  
Zack sighed and brought the binoculars back to his eyes and began to sweep over the horizon.  
  
Cloud noticed that Rufus had a wide-eyed innocence to his eyes. A light that will be crushed in his first battle. Rufus never went through what Cloud had. Fight his way into the Northern Carter not once, but twice. Circleing the globe over and over again. Falling into the Lifestream and surviveing. Suddenly there was a commontion down stairs and all three men looked at the wet salior.  
  
"Where the hell did you come from?!" Zack asked.  
  
"Lt Cmdr. Rober de Kere. The Navy has just been whiped out. Jenova attacked. We didn't have a chance!" The man said.  
  
Cloud along with the two others followed Robert into the stair well and into Reeve's office which was jumping with activity. Reeve looked up and spoke to de Kere. "Haven't you been trained in ground warfare?"  
  
De Kere spoke up imeadilty. "Yes, Sir."  
  
Reeve looked at Cloud. "de Kere is now your Second in Command. He's the smartest sailor we have and there is an added bonus of him being trained in Ground Warefare. He skills will be good enough."  
  
De Kere looked at Cloud, speaking. "I'd be an honor Sir."  
  
"Welcome aboard." Cloud said.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Author's notes:  
  
1) Ok, ok! So his assignment to Cloud left a lot to be desired, but hey.  
  
2) Review and tell me if you like it!!  
  
3) More out soon!  
  
Gene  
  
  
  
  



	5. The Dawn of Darkness - Chpater IV

The Dawn of Darkness - Chapter IV  
  
Summery: See Prologe  
  
Disclamer - See chapter I   
  
**********************************************************************************  
( One Year after the Destruction of the ShinRa navy )  
  
The bunker vibrated with another expolsion. { Fuck!! } General Rufus J. ShinRa silently cursed. He pulled his Sniper CR from it's back holster and took aim from a slit like window. He peered through the scope, aiming around, trying to see the cannons Hojo's mutant army were useing. { Damnit!! } He cursed again, flicking his now dirty redish blond hair from his face. He pulled his radio from his hip and yelled into it. "Home One, this is Striking Viper, over."  
  
"Home One, here." Said one of the radio operators and Neo-Midgar.  
  
"Hojo has come out with something... I don't know what it is, but they look like mutated humans. With all the soldiers we haven't been able to find and with all the towns that where wiped from the face of the earth by his army, I'm sure he's got plently more." Rufus said, with a rasied voice.  
  
"Copy, Strikeing Viper, and be advised, the Gelinka war palnes won't be at your loctaion for another 20 minutes." The operator said.  
  
"The bunker can't hold out that long! We *needed* help 10 minutes ago!"  
  
"We are sorry, but we you are at the limit of their range. They have to go slow in order to conserve enough fuel to get back to base!" The operator said.  
  
"Fine! Goddamnit!!" Rufus shut the radio off with too much force then what was necessary, but he felt a little better after it.  
  
"Sir! First Plattoon is completely destroyed! One hundered percent killed!" His SiC siad.  
  
"Fuck! Fuck!!! Xander, come here." Rufus snapped.  
  
His second in command stepped over, afraid of the trademark ShinRa temper. He had served as an advisor to President ShinRa the first, and had seen his son flip out in the office.  
  
"Faster! I'm not going to bite your goddamn head off!!" Rufus snapped agian, still looking through the scope of his gun.  
  
"I want you to deliver this message to General Strife's army. Now, copy this down." Rufus said, more calmly then before, and then pulling on the action of his rifle, aiming.  
  
"General, my army is done for. Heavy casualties suffered, and equipment lost. If you could-" Rufus stopped. "Ah... hello. There you are, you little fuck!" Rufus said slowly as he adjusted his scope. After a long moment he fired, the shot hitting the man solidly in the neck, makeing blood gush and squirt everywhere.  
  
Xander winced at his commander's coldness but never said anything. His ears perked up as he heard a whistling noise.   
  
"XANDER GET OUT!!!" Rufus screamed as the shell his the bunker, makeing it explode.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Cloud pulled the cords to his gold chocobo, Dark Angel, and looked at the sight before him. Hojo's and ShinRa's forces... all dead. They massacred each other.  
  
Robert pulled the rope on his black chocobo and sighed. "Sir! Look! The bunker!"  
  
Cloud's eyes shot to where Rufus' command post was. "Oh my god...."  
  
"Heeya!!" Cloud yelled, and Dark Angel sprang forth, his feet barely touching the ground.  
  
Robert followed quickly, the Butterfly Edge sword tapping aginst his saddle.  
  
Cloud looked at the huge hole in the top of the bunker and looked through it. Down below there was charred remains of a person with a Sniper CR laying next to them and in the corner was a man who was barely alive but was moveing slightly.  
  
"Help me...." The man siad.  
  
Cloud motoned for Robert to give him the rope in his saddlebag. "Yes, Sir." Robert tossed the rope over and clod got off Dark Angel, and tied it to a metal support beam. He then made sure the Ultima Weapon was secure beofre slideing down the rope. Robert was not far behind, hitting the ground and pulling out his sword. He held it with both hands, looking around.  
  
"General Strife?" the man asked.  
  
"Yes? What's your name soldier?" Cloud asked.  
  
"Lt. Xander Drax. Second in Command for General ShinRa." Xander said.  
  
Cloud looked at the man. "Where is General ShinRa?"  
  
"I think he's dead." Xander pointed at the charred corpse.  
  
Cloud walked over to the corpse. "It's Rufus' weapon. We have to assume he's dead."  
  
The three exchanged a glance and then sighed.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Rufus ran. He ran as hard and as fast as he could, the Quicksliver in his right hand, seemingly wieghtless compared to the fear of the death squad after him. He brought his gun up and fired behind him. He ran harder, hearing the growls and roars of the death squad.  
  
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!!!" Rufus yelled and tripped over a root.  
  
He rolled over and sprang up, fireing the rest of his clip behind him, hitting 5 monters, killing 2. { Shit! Two outta 8! }  
  
The monsters sprang out at him and he dodged, holstering his pistol and pulling out the Mythril Saber from it's hip sheath. He swung into a monster's back as it leaped past him, neatly breaking it's spine, and then going through. He braced himself and held his ground as anouth leaped on him, and was impaled by his sword. He quickly yanked it out and brandished it in both hands, swinging it violently, into the skull of another, killing that. He then rolled out of the way and cast an Ice 3. Almost immeaditly the ice slamed from the sky in big spear-like projectiles. The remaining monsteres where cut into unregonizeable chunks.  
  
"Damnit! Outta ammo for my gun." He said and looked at his uniform. It was ripped and dirty. Blood was streaked on it in several places. His red/blond hair was dirty, and his boots where caked in mud. "Well, I gotta get to Neo-Midgar someway or another...." He cleaned the sword off and tucked it into it's sheath at his side. He then set off in the direction of Neo-Midgar.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Reeve was sitting in the office, with a anxious Scarlet sitting across from him. "I'm sure Rufus is fine. They are haveing radio trouble all over the place." Reeve silently took the woman's apperance. Blonde hair, a large bust, small, alsmot fragile waist, wide womanly hips. She hadn't changed that much. She took Rufus' death pretty hard the first time. It had led him to belive that they had something going on. She wasn't that much older then he was.  
  
"Your right, I'm sure it's nothing." Scarlet said, breaking Reeve from his inner thoughts.  
  
"-eve are you there?" Cloud's voice came over the radio.  
  
"Yes, General. We are here." Reeve said.  
  
"Rufus' army has been destroyed.... all but one dead. Hojo's forces have also been wiped out. They killed each other." Cloud said.  
  
"Who is the survior?" Scarlet asked, alarmed.  
  
"Ah....a one Lt. Xander Drax, Second in Command for General ShinRa." Cloud said.  
  
"What about Rufus?" Scarlet asked.  
  
"We haven't found him. He is presumed dead." Cloud said.  
  
"Oh...." Scarlet sighed, and got up, walking into her office, which was next to Reeve's. It was there she broke down and began to cry.  
  
"General Strife, thank you for the report. Keep me posted." Reeve said, and moved to cut the comm off.  
  
"Sir? Is Vice-President Scarlet going to be alright?" Cloud asked, his voice all buisness.  
  
"I don't know. Alright, keep me posted on the condition of the troops. Reeve out." The President said.  
  
"Yes, Sir." Cloud said and shut off the comm.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Rufus held out his Chocobo lure, and waited silently. { Come on.... work, damn you! }  
  
Slowly a yellow chocobo stepped out of the brush and sniffed the air. "Wark!"  
  
Rufus threw some field greens to him, as he was trained in survival. { Eat them.... } He silently willed.  
  
The Chocobo sniffed the greens and bit into the first bit.  
  
Rufus saw his opertunity and sprang forward, the Mythril Saber clinking as he ran. He slid to a stop and climbed onto the Chocobo before it knew what was happening. He leaned in and grabed the Chocobo's neck feathers. He spurred it on in the direction of Neo-Midgar.  
  
The traveling was uneneventful at first and soon the terrain got rockier and rockier. The Chocobo warbled pitifully as it went over the rocks. Rufus didn't want to do this to the bird but he had to. He had to get to Neo-Midgar. At whatever cost.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Cloud wheeled on Dark Angel and spured on twords his combined ShinRa/SOLDIER army. Waiting for him was the joint commander, Zack. "Cloud! What did you find?" Zack asked, tossing his ebony hair out of his face.  
  
"One survivor out of an army of 250,000." Cloud said grimly.  
  
Zack sighed and shook his head. "What about ShinRa?"  
  
"I found this..." Cloud said and tossed the high powered rifle to Zack. "But no Rufus."  
  
Zack sighed. "How's Scarlet holding up?"  
  
"Don't know. Reeve said she'd be fine, but I'm not sure. Rufus told me that he had a thing with her before he became President, and durning up untill he died." Cloud replied.  
  
"Yea. I hope she's alright." Zack said, and turned on his own Gold Chocobo, Goldie, to his army, the huge Buster Sword on his back.  
  
"We camp here tonight!" Zack called.  
  
With that they began setting up their tents and camp fires.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Rufus sighed as the Chocobo wouldn't go any further. "Thanks, Bird. See you around." With that Rufus go off the Chocobo and began to walk when he herd a pitiful wark behind him. "Bird?"  
  
The Chocobo had walked forward and then slightly off the path. Rufus did nothing but follow, and saw a stream. The Chocobo walked in the water and splashed around. When it get up Rufus saw gold feathers. There was a thick layer of dirt on her and that had taken the gold out of the feathers.  
  
"Bird?" Rufus asked, wondering if it was divine intervention that made him happen upon a Gold Chocobo.   
  
"Wark!" Rufus looked at the Chocobo's rear as something red flashed. He then gasped. It was a ShinRa brand. It was probaly an Army Officer's.  
  
"Lets camp." Rufus said and as the bird layed down he leaned aginst it.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Sunrise was usually bueatiful this time of the year... but the line of Hojo's troops on the horizion didn't make it beautiful. Cloud pulled the Ultima Weapon form his back, as Zack pulled his buster sword off. Next the other 500,000 men armed themselves and waited. Cloud waved his sword air and leaned down. "CHARGE!!!!!" He screamed.  
  
All 500,000 men charged down the hill at top speed, gear clanking. It was a mixture of wepaons. Some with swords, others with pikes, still others with guns and knivies.  
  
Zack rode forward with Cloud, each on thier chocobos. Behind them was Robert de Kere and Xander Drax, each brandishing a sword of thier own.  
  
They clashed aginst the mass of Hojo's forces, the combat brutal. Blood splashed the ground withing the first few seconds. Cloud, Zack, Robert, and Xander waded through the carnage, swinging thier swords. While tugging at the reigns of the chocobo's they swung violently, killing Hojo's monsters.  
  
A man near Robert had his head taken off with one quick swipe of a monster's large claw. Soon the battle began to turn. For the first time in a year, the ShinRa forces where winning.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Rufus woke up and shook his new Chocobo, Bird as he named it, awake. "Come on, friend. Lets go."  
  
The animal warked once and got up, letting Rufus climb on. "Hya!"  
  
The Chocobo started off. It was smooth sailing from there. Rufus rode on, and after twelve hours of hard rideing Neo-Midgar was a black spot on the horizion. "Whoa!"   
  
Bird slumped down and sighed. "I know, Bird. I know. We'll rest here for tonight."  
  
The Chocobo warked thankfully. Rufus dismounted and pulled the Mythril Saber from it's sheath at his hip with a metalic Zing. He then began to scavenge. He came across some field greens and cut them down with his sword. He slid the sword back into the silver tipped leather sheath at his hip and brought his fid back to Bird. He then hunkered down to a meal with it.   
  
Shortly after the meal Rufus looked up as he heard a sound. It sounded like the skittering noise that Hojo's monsters made before they attacked. He looked in the direction the sound was comeing from but the attack cmae from nowhere. With a loud cry Rufus spun his sword arcing as he pulled it from the sheath. It cut into the monster's arm, sliceing it off, but the thing got back up and hobbled towords him at a a dramatic speed for a wounded animal. Rufus brandished the sword in both hands and swung heavily at the monster, the tip arcing for it's back. The thing rolled out of the way, but the sword bit deep into it's shoulder. It screamed and he leaped towords it, sword flashing, the black blood on it glinting harshly in the light. He took the monster's head off but not before it's scropion like tail slashed down and ripped into his uniform sleeve, and it was now hanging off his shoulder. It rose up in the breeze and he slid the sword back in the sheath. He looked down and saw the cut, it was deep but not that long. He was lucky.  
  
Bird warked at him, cocking it's head to the side.  
  
Rufus tore what was left of his right sleeve off and then cut it in two pieces. He rolled the bandgae around his cut, the blue material becomeing dark with his blood. He fliped his hair out of his face and tied the second strip aroudn his wound, knoting it. "Now, Bird. We rest. First thing tomorrow we head twords that smudge in the horizion!" He sighed and cleaning his sword off, then leaned aginst the Chocobo for warmth. He fell asleep with his sword loosely held in his hand.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Scarlet sobbed. Rufus was gone. She had loved him with everything. Her heart, her mind. She had fallen in love with her boss' son. She smiled fondly at the memory of first time she saw him.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
"Scarlet!!" President ShinRa screamed.  
  
"Yes, Sir?" Scarlet asked, smileing at her boss.  
  
"My son is going to be comeing in. I want you to give him the tour of the weapons department, R&D, tesing grounds, fireing ranges, the whole nine yards." He said.  
  
"Of course sir. It'll be my pleasure." Scarelt said, plastering on one of her fake smiles.  
  
"Good. He will be here shortly, on the next Helicopter." The President said, obviously annoyed.  
  
"I will go meet the helicopter." And with that a 20 year old Scarlet left the room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As soon as the heilcopter landed she was there, in that form fitting, reveling red dress that she always wore. As the 18 year old man stepped out of the 'copter her breath caught in her chest. He was wonderful! He was wearing a white suit seemingly three sizes to large for him, but as she got in with him it was just the overcoat. Under that he wore something like a lab coat on much more stylish. He walked down the hall with her, flirting and makeing little comments here and there.  
  
At the end of the tour, he asked the question that made her stop cold. "Miss Scarlet, would you like to have dinner with me one night this week?" He had asked, his bue eyes boreing into her green ones.  
  
Scarlet's brain locked. She didn't know what to say. So, she said what any woman would probaly say in her postion. "Yes, I'd like that very much."   
  
Rufus smiled, and fliped his strawberry blond hair back. "So, lets say... Friday, 8:00. We could go see that new play, Loveless and then Dinner."  
  
"I'm looking forward to it." She said, smileing herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Friday rolled around faster then she thought and she was at her apartment, pulling on her black dress. Just as she finished her make up she heard the door bell ring. He pulled on her black heels and walked to the door, grabing her purse on the way.   
  
Rufus fliped the hair from his eyes and he looked at the door, shifting lightly. { I'm nervous... that's never hapen to me before. } he thought with a light smirk.  
  
Scarlet opend the door and was greeted with Rufus ShinRa, holding flowers and wearing a tight black shirt, showing off his morderatly sized muscles, and white pants with black shoes. He smiled at her and she looked at the flowers. "Where did you get them?" She asked.  
  
"Some woman selling flowers. She was about 16 and the flowers looked really nice. So I thought, pretty flowers for a very pretty lady." He replied.  
  
She smiled. "How sweet of you...."   
  
He grinned. "That's alright."  
  
Scarlet wet and put them in water and then came back, smileing.  
  
"Shall we go?" Rufus asked, offering his arm.  
  
"We shall." Scarlet replied, takeing his arm.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The play was wonderful and dinner was very tastey. She smiled at Rufus as he walked her to her door. "Thank you for the wonderful evening Rufus."  
  
"Think nothing of it." He said, smileing.  
  
"So," She said.  
  
"Yeah, so," He scracthed the back of his head.  
  
She smiled up at Rufus who was two years her younger, and the scilence streached on.  
  
Rufus was the one who broke it, and leaned down, pressing his lips to her softly. Soon the kiss went deeper and more passonite and then he pulled back. "We should do this agian." He said, his pupils dilatied, only a thin ring of blue left.  
  
{ I did that.... } Scarlet thought, satisfied.  
  
"I will see you agian, my sweet lady." He said, Picking up her hand and kissing the knuckle. He then walked away.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Scarlet sobbed all the more. "Oh God... why are you so cruel?!"  
  
Cloud and Zack walked in, wanting to talk about Weapons R&D.  
  
Cloud saw what was going on. "Scarlet. I am so sorry."  
  
Zack sighed. "If we could have done more would have."  
  
Scarlet sobbed harder.  
  
Cloud reched down and held her close, whispering soothing nonesense to her. "Zack, go ahead out. I'll be there."  
  
Zack nodded and left.  
  
Scarlet looked out on the setting sun, sighing. "I wish Rufus was here."  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
1) A LOT longer then the last couple.  
  
2) The Chocobo was a rement from the battle.  
  
3) Review damnit!  
  
Gene  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
